AUSTIN — The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has announced it will award up to $10 million in grant funds to 20 community collaboratives located across the state to assist Texas veterans and their families struggling with mental health issues.

These grant funds, awarded as part of HHSC's Texas Veterans + Family Alliance grant program, are intended to improve the quality of life of Texas veterans and their families by supporting local Texas communities across the state to expand the availability of, increase access to, and enhance the delivery of mental health treatment and services.

The program was established by Sen. Jane Nelson's Senate Bill 55, which provides $20 million in state funds over the 2016-2017 biennium to be matched with local and private funds by grantees demonstrating commitment to addressing mental health needs of veterans and families living in their communities.

"As the daughter of a World War II veteran, I am a big believer in this program because it brings the state, local organizations, and the private sector together to meet the specific needs of veterans in their communities. These grant projects are going to make it easier for veterans and their families to access the mental health services they need," Sen. Nelson said.

Projecting to serve more than 10,000 veterans and family members in total with grant-supported services, the following organizations have been selected as apparent awardees and will begin providing services pending execution of contracts:

For more information on services for Texas veterans, families, and their survivors please visit https://veterans.portal.texas.gov/. For immediate assistance, please call 2-1-1 or (800) 252-VETS.

Veterans and family members can also access services on their smart phones through the Texas Veterans App. The app can be downloaded by using the search feature in the Google Play or the App Store or at these links: